cup of coffee: Browse The Strips

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Lynn's Comments: We had owned a small aircraft ever since Aaron was 4 years old, so he was no stranger to flying. With floats in the summer and skis in the winter, our Cessna 185 was like a flying carpet--which could take us anywhere we wished to go. We all loved to fly, and even the bumpiest trips were fun.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Lynn's Comments: When I saw this in the paper, I almost wept. I had done the strip as a "bit of truth," but had no idea how serious the situation was and I berated myself for my poor mothering skills.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Lynn's Comments: The quote "my lungs sound like a barn full of owls" came from my dad. He was a pack-a-day smoker whose health was steadily deteriorating. Cigarettes were a staple for many musicians, but Dad's declining health and Alan's growing maturity made him see that he had to quit before he couldn't play the trumpet any more.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Lynn's Comments: When my dad tried to quit smoking, he got rid of his cravings, he said, by going for a walk. We knew it was an excuse to grab a fast cigarette, 'cause Dad didn't like exercise and rarely walked anywhere!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Lynn's Comments: There were times when housework depressed me terribly. The fact that it had to be done over and over again made the effort beyond unsatisfying. Being a mom and managing my other job meant that I was working (I figured) 10-12 hours a day. Eventually, my mom-in-law suggested I ask one of her friends to help me once a week, so I happily made arrangements to hire "Mavis." This hard working and thorough housekeeper indeed lightened the load, but she wanted to have her lunch prepared and she scoffed if I gave her a store-bought dessert! This meant that the time I saved was spent in the kitchen...but it was a CLEAN kitchen!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Lynn's Comments: I thought that in time there would be a return to uplifting family friendly films--stories that left you feeling hopeful, the music rich with cadence and meaning; music that would repeat in your mind for hours afterwards. "The Lion King" has been a recent one, but to my mind there just aren't enough.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Lynn's Comments: This strip made me laugh today. How funny it seems to have worried about looking older then. Right now, I'd give my left eye bag for a smooth neck and a waistline!

Friday, March 28, 2014

Lynn's Comments: When I was ignored in a restaurant by a waitress more interested in a table full of gents, I retaliated by doing a strip about it. Once a waitress myself, I knew that, even if you're busy, it's still possible to be courteous!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Lynn's Comments: Tipping is always an issue when the service is poor. It was designed as a gesture of thanks, but it's become an obligation. With this in mind, I think some service folks forget that being prompt and considerate is still part of the job!

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Lynn's Comments: This was true. My house and my yard were always full of kids, and though it sometimes became a chore, I always knew where my children were!

Monday, June 23, 2014

Lynn's Comments: My friend, Carol, and I set up a lemonade stand in front of my house, and of course, my mom did all the work. We thought it would take all day to sell our wares, but were surprised to have many customers--one right after the other. It took awhile, years actually, before my dad admitted to calling everyone on the block--asking them to buy.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Lynn's Comments: After I sent this strip to the syndicate, I felt badly for having used Cathy Guisewite's exclamation. I think this is the only time I ever used the word "Gakkk!" Years later, after many crazy thought-up sounds: bork, flubble, snooof, snerkk, and so on, I received a letter from someone saying I had stolen Don Martin's words. Don did a fabulous spread for Mad Magazine, and his use of funny sound effects was legendary. I wrote back to say that I knew Don's work, and although my sound effects might be similar, I tried hard not to copy anything of Don's. I mean, how many ways can you depict a scream? In deference to Cathy, I have always spelled "AAAAAUGH!" that way--so that she could have "AAAAKKKK!" all to herself.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Lynn's Comments: My first husband used to come home from work, look around the house and say, "What did you DO all day?" The house was tidy, the laundry done, dinner was prepared and the baby was clean, fed and sleeping. I felt I had put in a full day's work--plus overtime!

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Lynn's Comments: There were times when well meaning friends, knowing I was at home, would drop in during the day. I would come up from the studio, long enough to be polite--sometimes I'd put on the coffee, but I was on a deadline and every minute spent away from the drafting table was time I'd have to make up later on. One woman was very unhappy when I told her I had to work. Having two kids of her own, she looked at me angrily and snapped "So do I!" When I look back at all the comics I did while juggling family, food, chores, business trips, volunteer stuff and just plain living, I wonder how I managed to do it all.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Lynn's Comments: Until perhaps grade 4, I believed in witches. I had seen "Sleeping Beauty," and the evil stepmother haunted my dreams. One night, I had a particularly vivid dream, in which I was being chased by a horrible witch. I climbed up a tree, but she was right behind me. As I climbed higher, the branches became thinner and thinner until I was stuck with nowhere to go. I looked down at the witch and said, "OK, do whatever you're gonna do. I don't care." As soon as I said that, she climbed back down the tree and ran off. I was never bothered by witches again! Guess you really do have to confront your demons.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Lynn's Comments: Here's where the "soap opera" comes into FBorFW. There had to be some romantic conflict in the story, so when Connie moved away, I enjoyed exploring some of the "what-ifs." Would people like John and Ted meet and talk like this in real life? Maybe not. Still, it was a way to answer some of the questions a sympathetic fly on the wall might ask: What if Ted felt badly? What if he realized his mistake? Exploring questions like these gave me the incentive to produce and to stay on deadline.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Lynn's Comments: Having gone on several Medical Missions to Honduras and Peru, I am well aware of how little some people have and how much we in North America take for granted. When my kids said they were "starving," I was grateful that they had no idea what "starving" meant.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Lynn's Comments: At this time, my parents lived in Hope, British Columbia. To get to North Bay was quite a haul: a two-hour drive to Vancouver, a flight to Toronto, and another to North Bay. With two kids, it was even more hassle for us to go to them. The few times we did get together for Christmas were much-celebrated events.